Islamabad, Nov. 17 (pti): Paving the way for transfer of power to a new government, Pakistan’s Parliament will elect a Prime Minister on Thursday following elections to the crucial posts of Speaker and deputy speaker on Tuesday.

Election for the post of Prime Minister will be held on Thursday, November 21, while the transfer of power will take place in Islamabad on November 22, interior minister Moinuddin Haider said at a meeting here last night. “Three political parties have emerged as main forces, we are hopeful that these three parties will work together in the larger national interest,” he said.

Leaders of the top three parties — pro-Musharraf Pakistan Muslim League-Qaide Azam (pml-q), former premier Benazir Bhutto’s Pakistan People’s Party (ppp) and alliance of six hardline parties Muttahida Majlis-e Amal (mma) — are expected to contest for the post of Prime Minister.

Pml-q has already nominated Mir Jafarullah Khan Jamali as the prime ministerial candidate. Jamali claimed to have support of over 170 members in 342-member national Assembly. Ppp, which emerged second in the October 10 polls with 81 members, has nominated Mukhdhum Amin Fahim as its candidate for prime ministership while mma with 60 members has named pro-Taliban Maulana Fazlur Rehman for the post.

Snub to Musharraf

Terming Musharraf’s swearing in as President for another five years as “unconstitutional”, Pakistan’s political and religious parties have demanded fresh presidential elections as per the procedure laid down in the 1973 Constitution, that involves approval by Parliament and the provincial assemblies.